Perhaps, Jungkook was wrong.
Maybe it wasn't just the two of them against the whole world after all.
When Taehyung got to school the following Monday, he was surprised to see someone leaning against his locker as if they were waiting for him.
As he approached that person, he furrowed his eyebrows, a tad surprised.
Park Chaeyoung was leaning against his locker a kind-of anxious expression on her face.
An uneasy feeling settled in his gut since he knew how much Jungkook used to like her back then.
What if she suddenly changed her mind about rejecting him and wanted to date him all of a sudden but saw Taehyung as an obstacle and wanted to blackmail him into breaking up with him?
He really did not want to go there. And he trusted Jungkook to be a good, faithful boyfriend so he didn't really see a need to worry much.
So, he just raised his eyebrows at the girl and greeted her awkwardly: "Um, hi."
"Hi," she responded shyly. "Look, I'm sorry for approaching you so randomly but I really wanted to--"
"If you're here to ask dumb questions about my boyfriend and our relationship just like everyone else, no need. No, I didn't force him to date me and I didn't perform voodoo on him either. Yes, he loves me and yes, I know he used to like you. No, he didn't suddenly turn gay, he likes both genders. That's actually a thing, yew. In case you suddenly started liking him and want him to break up with me, too bad he loves me and treats me like a queen every damn single day." Finishing up his quite preposterous speech, he looked at her with an unreadable expression, making her look at him confusedly since she definetely did not expect this.
The female cleared her throat after a while, clearing the atmosphere. "That's... not what I wanted to ask. At all. I don't like him, no."
Taehyung suddenly felt bad for being so harsh on the girl and judging her so abruptly before even listening to what she had to say. "Oh. I'm sorry, I just kinda assumed. It's just, lots of people on social media said mean stuff and treat me like some kind of devil and emotions just bottled up inside of me and I suddenly spilled, I guess. Again, sorry for judging you." He showed a small smile.
"No, it's okay," she insisted, smiling back.
"What I actually wanted to ask you..." She drifted off, trying not too meet the boy's gaze of curiosity and anticipation.
"How did you realize?" She bit her lip, feeling very discouraged all of a sudden.
Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows, not realizing what she actually meant.
"How did I realize what? That I was in love with Jungkook? Well, that was pretty easy to figure out after some time. Long story."
He raised his eyebrows when she shook her head, her strawberry blonde hair floating around her softly.
"No, not that. How did you realize you were into... boys?" Her voice became thinner towards the end, the boy's jaw dropping as he realized exactly what was going on.
"O-Oh. That. Um, I don't know? Well, someday it just became obvious so I didn't try to deny myself or repress it or anything, I just dealt with it, I guess. The signs were all there, it was crystal clear." He bit his lips nervously, seeing the girl beside him frowning and looking at him in a concentrated manner.
He then sighed. "I think I know what this is about. There's nothing to be afraid about, okay? Follow your heart and only listen to yourself and to no one else. Don't pressure yourself and figure it out step by step." And now, she was the one to sigh. She shook her head again.
"I don't think I can do that. Everyone's rushing me to start dating and stuff. My friends, my parents, my siblings, everyone. And I'm scared of it. And I really don't know how long I can keep making up excuses and keep up this act of being a pure person who wants to wait for fate to find her. And I don't know how long I can keep it a secret, it's tiring me," she spoke, her voice slightly shaky yet desperate. Taehyung could only relate, remembering Mrs. Jeon and how she made him feel safe in a place he felt unsafe in.
He also wanted to do that for someone else in the same situation.
And he would.
"Hey," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I know exactly how you feel. I remember the first time I told someone. Well, they figured it out themselves. When I finally let go of all my fears and admitted it, I was still scared. It will never not be scary but honestly, so much shit happened to me ever since, I should be used to it by now." She looked up to him, fear evident in her eyes.
"Who did you tell first? Your parents? Your siblings?"
He shook his head. "No. My dad's a violent douchebag and I'm an only child. No, the first person I opened up to was Jungkook's mom. She's such a great woman, she's always treated me like her own son. I remember, that day, Jungkook and me went to the cinema. We watched a horror movie and I was scared shitless, but he protected me. And comforted me. I swear, I was falling for him so badly. I felt helpless, like some sort of sinner. However, I didn't know sinning could feel so good." He laughed.
"Anyways, when we came home, he fell asleep and I went downstairs to get some water and she was there. Mrs. Jeon has always been observant, earlier that day, she asked me what was wrong with me. She knew I was going through something just by my aura and the way I was acting. She's fascinating, really. To make me feel better, she told me a story about her high school friend." The two of sat down, their backs against the wall and their legs crossed.
Despite the two of them never having talked to each other before, in that moment it was as if they had known each other for years.
"High school friend?," Chaeyoung asked curiously. The blonde laughed.
"Her friend kept a secret from her, and it clearly destroyed her. When she opened up to Mrs. Jeon, she was just as scared as me, and you, I'm guessing. She was just like us, by the way. And when Mrs. Jeon told me, I started crying and that's when she figured out." He smiled, recalling the memory. A lot had happened since then.
"Wow. That's... actually a really beautiful story. Mrs. Jeon sounds like an amazing mom." Taehyung nodded in admiration.
"She really is. Her husband is just as good-hearted as her, though he's busy with work a lot, unfortunately. They're an amazing family regardless. What's your family like?" He turned his head towards her, seeing her happy face falter a little bit.
"My parents only care about standards. We're not that rich, so they're pressuring me into finding a wealthy man all the time. I'm the oldest of three kids so of course they want me to be responsible and a good role model, basically my whole future is planned out by them." She sighed.
"My father was just like that. He's always hated me, he put me down all the time and treated me like shit my whole life. When my grades dropped, he forced me to stop talking to Jungkook. When he found out about me not liking girls, he... beat me up." He could hear the girl gasping and grimaced.
"Yeah, it was the scariest experience of my life and when Jungkook found out, he made me stay with him for a whole week. Now, he literally doesn't talk to me at all. I don't know how my mom puts up with him, she's the sweetest, by the way. She loves me so much but my douchebag father ruined everything about my home life for me. We're too weak to fight back against his cruelness, we're basically under his control." He took a deep breath, feeling surprisingly comfortable talking about this.
"I'm so sorry, you must've had it so hard," she said with sincerity and sadness lacing her voice, patting his shoulder and pulling him into a hug.
"If there's anything I can do to help with your shitty dad, please tell me. He's disgusting, by the way." At that, Taehyung let out a short laugh.
"He is, indeed."
He returned the hug and when they let go of each other, the blonde boy asked Chaeyoung something he had been meaning to ask for a while.
"So... is there anyone you like?"
He saw her cheeks redden visibly, grinning as he remembered the time he first started crushing on Jungkook. Carefully, swiftly and innocently, blooming into something gorgeous and gigantic.
Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
"Umm... my friend. Lalisa Manoban." Taehyung let out a happy sound, having already assumed it.
"I knew it! Back then, when Jungkook liked you, he thought you were looking into his direction and liked him but he was sitting close to Lisa so you were actually looking at her, right?," he asked brightly, a happy smile adorning his face.
The strawberry blonde gasped and nodded, also smiling. "I can't believe he actually thought that, I'm so sorry." She giggled, him joining in.
"No need to be sorry, he has me now and I'm the only one in his heart." He flipped his imaginary hair.
"Love is a beautiful feeling and I suggest you try giving her very subtle hints or start asking her some questions, what she thinks about being with a woman and stuff. Maybe she'll catch the hints and you'll get somewhere and if she acts... decliningly, abort. And forget her." He nudged her shoulder, sending her an encouraging smile.
"Thank you Taehyung, for everything. Jungkook is very lucky to have you, you're a really cute couple, by the way. I saw you kissing." She winked.
"I was so shocked but so happy. I thought talking to you would maybe help me get comfortable with myself and actually, I think I'm making progress. By the way, how did you guys start dating?"
Taehyung smiled sheepishly, seeing their whole story flash before his eyes, like a slideshow of memories.
"Looong story..."
"I have time."
And just like that, a new friendship started blooming. The blonde couldn't wait to tell Jungkook about it when he was done with practise.
Speaking of, the raven-haired boy was facing some unusual situations of his own.
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(A/N: heyooo,
i think this chapter is some sort of recap of some very very early chapters and omgjsjdjsjs the nostalgia hit me :'(
i love this book (weirdly enough) and i fr remember every single chapter i wrote, time whooshed by just like that and you can't stop it or turn it back which is very sad but at the same time, it opens your eyes and tells you to appreciate happy moments and that's beautiful♡
btw i proofread my last chapter and when i read my author's note i had to laugh (that bruise still hurts when i touch it by the way, just how hard did i bump my damn head), i have a tendency of being whiny and acting like i'm on my period before i'm even on my period and i get very over-sentimental sometimes, don't mind me :D
and speaking of periods, mine started today and just yayyyy, i can't wait to have uncomfortable stomach cramps tomorrow and wake up to my bed sheets looking like a crime scene-
umm anyways bye, thank you and i love you for putting up with my shit💜💜💜)